Electric controller



W. SCHWAGERMANN.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI2.1920.

1,438,727, Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

33913 Moz/n L W. SCHWAGERMANN.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I2, 1920.

Patented Dc. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHUI 2.

ElHIAIIIIII" `,.IIIIUIIIIIIIIIIII Patented 12, 1922.

UNITEDl 4STATES WILLIAM SCHWAGERMANN, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WARD LEONARD ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

`Application led Hay 12,

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I,- WILLIAM SCHWAGER- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, although capable of other uses, is particularly applicable to the control of circuits of small isolated plants, such as include a gas engine, a dynamo, a storage battery and one or more distributing circuits.

By my invention I provide automatic means for protection of the circuits and apparatus and likewise combine therewith manually operated means which insures the proper sequence of closing the circuits and of opening the circuits. I preferably provide a single manually operated element for properly closing the main circuit and also any auxiliary circuit, as desired, in proper sequence, the parts being thereafter automatically controlled unless it is desired to manually open the circuits when the same manually operated element may be used for opening the circuits.

One object of my invention is to provide a controller of the above character which will form a unitary device adapted to be mounted upon a conveniently located panel and which will be compact, dura-ble and of simple construction. Another object is to render such a. device proof against unskilled use in the control of the circuits and to protect all the parts from tampering or adjustment by enclosure so that only the manually operated element is exposed. Another object is to so construct the contacting parts and their relationship to each other as will insure continued use without material deterioration of the parts and reduce to a minimum the arcing at the contacts.

Other objects of my invention will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of one embodiment of my invention showing the parts in open circuit position; Fig, 2 is a horizontal -section of a portion of the vdevice showing the parts in closed circuit position; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2

showing the auxiliary circuits open circuited,

1920. Serial N0. 380,716.

and the main circuit close circuited; Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the fixed and movable main contacts; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the controller, Fig. 7 is a rear view of the supporting plate of the magnet and of the movable contact, and Fig. 8 is a diagram of connections.

The controller' with the combined automatic and manually operated means is a unitary device and as Shown has rearwardly extending contacts 1, 2, 3, al and 5 for mounting the device upon a panel, and for making the circuit connections thereto. The base 6 of the controller is preferably of Inolded insulating vmaterial having provision for reception of the contacts and connecting leads, being ofthe form shown in Fig. and of the full length and width of the device. At the upper and lower ends of the base plate 6 are blocks 7 and 8 preferably of molded insulating material which are recessed and drilled to receive the parts as hereafter referred to. Bridging the blocks 7 and 8` is a sheet iron plate 9 secured to the blocks and base 6 by screws 10, which pass through the blocks and base and engage nuts whlch are recessed in the rear face of the base 6.

A controlling magnet is mounted on the plate 9 and has a U-shaped metal frame 11 of sheet iron having its inner ends fixed to the plate 9. iVithin the magnet frame is a shunt winding 12 and a series winding 13. A sheet of insulating material 11 is located at the inner ends of the windings on the face of the plate 9 and provides holes 15 through which leads from the coils are passed to the inner parts of the controller, the plate 9 being cut away at the sides as shown in Fig. 7 and thus permits the insulating plate 14 to extend over the cut away portions.

The movable main contact 16 of sheet metal and having a central opening is located in the middle portion of the device and supported by a strip 17 of phosphor bronze or other suitable material, which in turn is mounted at its upper end on a block 18 secured to the inside face of the plate 9 and located in a recessed portion of the block 7. The fixed contact 19 is shown of sheet metal and faces the movable con tact 1G and has an upwardly extending offset portion 19 located in a recess on the front of the insulating plate (S and being lll secured in place at itg upper end by the terminal connection 1 passing through the plate G. liaclot the tact 19 is an adjustable screw 2l) tor properly locating' the lower end of the tixed contact. '.l`his screw is located in a recess in the base 6 and supported by a metal plate 21, which in turn is tiXed in a recess in the base li by a screw 21 extending 'through the hase G trom the rear.

lilounted on the middle portion ot the hase G and extending 'forwardly through a central opening therein are a pair ot' oppositely located spring contacts These contacts of sheet metal have rear extensions in recessed portions of the base 6 by which these contacts are supported by means ot screws and nuts 23.

ill. rod 24 passes t'reely through the center of the controlling coils and has lined to its outer end a knob or handle 25 otl insulating material. rlhe rod 24 is axially movable and passes through the openings in the con 16 and 19. llt the inner end ot' the .rod is a sleeve 2G ot insulating material, which is located between and engages the spring contacts 22 when the controller is in open eircuited pos'ion or when it desired to break the auxiliar).v circuit oi" con facts 22 without breal'zing tl e circuit ol the main contacts 16, 19. lilear the inner end ot rod is a metal sleeve 2i' insulated trom the rod and adapted to engage and make connection between the spring contacts .2:2 when the' rod 24 is pushed inwardly.

It cylindrical plunger 28 ot' magnetic material is located within the controlling windings and surrounds the rod 24, being carried by a sleeve ot' non-magnetic material. The outer endot this sleeve carries a dish 30 between which and the magnet ytrame is a spiral spring 31 encirclingn the outer end oli plunger 28 and tending to hold the same in its outer position. The inner end ot sleeve carries a collar 32 retained in place by the end of the sleeve beine' turned outwardly and also by a spacing sleeve 33 between the collar and the plunger 2S. el sheet metal part 34 having otlset and upwardly entending arms, is secured to the lower outer tace ot the movable main contact 1G, the upwardly extending arms en'ibracing the collar 32. lThis connection causes the contact i 16 to be moved and controlled by movement of the plunger 28. A collar 35 ot insulating material is carried by the rod 24 near the contact sleeve 27 so that sufficient outward movement ot rod 24 will cause this collar to engage the inner end ot the sleeve 29 and thereby cause outward movement ot the plunger by outward movement of the handle and rod 24 when desired. This arrangement also permits independent invvard movement of rod- 24 without movement ot the plunger'28 until the nut 36 lower part ot the conv on the rod 24 engages the outer end ot the plunger.,

A cylindrical metal shield 3T is mounted on the outer part ot the magnet frame and encloses and protects the spring 3l. The handle 25 is recessed at its inner end so as to permit a telescoping action ot the handle over the shield 3T and thus etliectively enclose the parts in all positions ot the handle. @n opposite sides of the magnet trame and extending to the base plate G are two metal plates which with the magnet trame and plate 9 eilectively enclose the controlling coils and contacts.. These plates 38 are preferably locked with a seal when leaving the manufacturer so as to avoid unauthorized tampering with the parts.

flexible lead 39 has one end in electric connection with the movable contact 1G and passes through one ot the holes 15 at one side ot' the insulating' plate 14 and connects with one end ot the series coil 13. The other end ot the series coil passes through one ot' the holes 15 oi the plate 14 and through an oppositelv located hole 40 in the plate 6. and then extends through a recess in the base ot the plate l to the terminal 2, as indicated in liig. G. lead trom one end ot the shunt winding 12 passes through one ot the holes 15 ot plate 14 and then through an oppositcly located hole 4l in the base plate li and passes through a recessed groove in lthe hack ot the plate S to the terminal connection 1. '.lhc other end ot' -the shunt winding is passed through the remaining hole 15 ot the plate '14 and through an oppositely located hole in the base plate and then through a groove in the bach ot the base plate to terminal B. ln this instance, the contacts 22 have leads extending therefrom through grooves in the baclr ot the plate (i to the terminals 4 and 5 respectively, the terminal 4 in this instance happening to serve also as a terminal 2. as indicated in lTig. G. a

rilhe diagram tl illustrates one application of a controller of this type to a sys tem having a generator, storage battery and distributing circuit, the batter7 being indicated at 43, the generator armature at 44 having a shunt iield 45 and series field 46, the distributing circuit being indicated at 47 and havingincandescent lamps connected in multiple thereto. The parts of the controller are numbered in Fig. 8 to correspond with the numbers to designate the parts above described. One line of the generator is connected to the terminal l and tired Contact 19, the movable contact 16 lbeing connected through the series coil 13 to the terminal 2 and thence to the battery, back to the other terminal of the generator through. a. switch 48 for connecting or disconnecting the battery The distributing circuit 47 is connected through a switch 49 in parallel with the battery. The shunt winding 12 is shown connected from one side of the generator circuit at terminal 1 to the other side of the generator circuit, by connection extending from terminal 3. The spring contacts 22 in this instance are provide for controlling the ignition circuit of the gas engine which normally drives the gen-k erator, the ignition circuit of the gas engine not being shown.

In this particular instance my improved controller is intended for use as a starting switch for closing the generator circuits from the battery to cause the generator to act as a motor for turning over and staiting the gas engine. which normally drives it, the controller also securing proper sequence of control ot the ignition circuit and main circuit during starting and stopping the engine and for providing automaticprotection during. iunniiig conditions. y

Assuming that it is desired to start the engine by operating the generator as a motor, the battery switch -ih will be closed and the operator will push thc knob or handle 25 inwardly. This gives a sequence ot' control as follows: The rod 21 will iirst move inwardly leaving the plunger 2S stationary and cause the metal sleeve 2T to engage and close the ignition circuit through the spring contacts 22, thus insuring the closure ot' the ignition circuit of the. engine before the starting current is applied. Continued inward movementofthe handle and rod 24 will next cause. the nut 36 to force the plunger 28 and movable contact 16' inwardly and cause the latter Contact to engage the fixed contact 19 and close the main circuit troni the battery through thev generator, the length ot the metal sleeve 2T being such as to continue to connect the contacts 22, thus bringing all ot' the contacts to the closed circuit condition as shown in l*` ig. 2. The engagement of the main contacts Vcauses a cooperating large current to flow through the series coil 13 which creates a strong magnetic iield to pull the plunger 2S inwardly and torce the movable contact 1G quickly into tirm engagement with the face of the fixed contact 19 insuring excellent electric-al connection between these contacts and the avoidance of any appreciable sparking in closing the circuit; because no matter how slowly the operator may push the handle in, the instant any contact. at all is made between the. main contacts. the flo-w of current through the series coil will quickly and strongly attract the plunger against the pressure of spring 31 and so insure a firm and adequate Contact in any case.

The operator will hold the handle 25 in its inner position until the engine has startcd which then drives the dynamo as a generator to charge the battery and supply cuirent to any translating devices connected to the distribution circuits. The charging cur- -rent obviously flows in the opposite direction to the starting current through the series coil 13 which charging current then acts cumulat-ively with the. shunt coil 12 in holding the plunger 28 in its inner position and thereby continues to hold the main contacts closed during normal running conditions, In case however ot a reverse current flow ot' predetermined amount through the series coil 13 due to abnoinial slowing down of the gas and generator, the series coil will then oppose the magnetization created by thesliunt coil and permit the spring 31 to force the plunger outwardly and break the charging circuit at the main contacts 16, 19 automatically with a quick movement of the movable contact- 16. This quick break under these conditions avoids any material arcing at the main contacts. This automaticaction thus protects the generator and battery from the continuance of any abnormal reverse current iow.

In casev it is desired tostop the engine and disconnect the battery during normal running conditions, the. operator win pull the handle 25 outwardly a short distance to the position shown in Fig. 3, which merely causes the ignition circuit of the gas engine to be interrupted by the sleeve 2T passing out from under the spring contacts 22', and the operator need not attem )t to force the main contacts apart manually against the magnetic pull of the magnet. The engine will then stop and as the speed of the generator drops, a reverse current (lows through the series coil ot' the controller, which then permits the main contacts to be automatically opened as above described without material arcing. lt desired the operator may in stopping, pull the handle 25 out sutliciently to not only break the ignition circuit, but also separate the main contacts by causing the,V collar 35 to engage. the inner end ot' the plunger sleeve- In doing this, however, a considerable force is necessary to overcome the magnetic pull on the plunger in order to separate the main contacts, and although a considerable current may be flowing, the break will be rapid and so tend to minimize the arcing by the quick break, because when the magnetic pull of the plunger is overcome, and once. starts to move, it moves quickly owing to the rapidly decreasing magnetic effect ot' the controller coils.

It is thus apparent that by means of this construction considerable. advantage in proper control ot the contacts is obtained by the telescope feature in causing thel ignition auxiliary circuit to be closed before the main circuit and yet, by reverse movement of the handle` cause the ignition or auxiliary circuit to be opened betore the main circuit instead of having the circuits opened in reverse order to their closing. lt is also ap parent that in case the engine should stop :trom failure of gasolene supply orI other causes, the controller will be automatically opened by action or' the series coil upon the occurrence ot a reverse current iiow as above described.

although l have described one embodiment ot my invention and one application thereof, various modications may be made and its various features utilized for other purposes than the particular one described herein.

ll claim y l. A. controller comprising main contacts and auxiliary contacts, and means comprising a manually movable element and a second relatively movable element extending in a direction parallel to said i'irst named element for causing the auxiliary contacts and main contacts to be successively closed by movement oit said manually `movable element in onel direction and then opened in the same sequence as in closing by movement of said manually movable element in the opposits direction.

controller' comprising main contacts and auxiliary contacts, tivo relatively movable elements extending in a direction parallel to each other for controlling said contacts respectively, and means con'iprising a handle whereby said contacts may be opened in the same sequence as closing said contacts.

3. .li controller coniprising main and auxiliary contacts, tivo axially movable elcmcnts lor controllingsaid contacts respecn tively, said elements having common axis, and means tor controlling the mm'en-.ent ot said elements comprising a handle whereby said contacts may be opened in the same quence as in closing said contacts.

le controller comprisingr a pair ot coni tarts, electromagnetic means for automatically controlling said contacts, a second pair ot contacts, a movable element for controt ling said second pair of contacts, said electro-magnetic means and element being1 tuna tionally related.

5. ln a controller, a pair of contacts, a magnet and a magnetic element for controlling said contacts, a second pair of contacts, and a manually movable element extending through said magnetic element :tor controlling said second pair of contacts.

G. l-lrmcontroller comprising a pair of main contacts, a magnet having its magnetic element connected to one of said contacts and biased to open said contacts, auxiliary contacts, and a movable element for controlling the circuit ot said auxiliary contacts and movable relatively to said magnetic ele ment and also adapted to control the movement ofsaid main contacts.

Y. A controller comprising main contacts, auxiliary contacts, a manually movable eley enclosing means,

ver

ment and a relatively movable element concentric therewith for successively closing said auxiliary contacts and main contacts, and electromagnetic means for automatically moving one of said elements for c0ntrolling the opening ot said main contacts.

8. A controller comprising main contacts, auxiliary contacts, almanuallyl movable ele ment and a second relatively movable element tor .first closing the auxiliary contacts and then the main contacts by movement of said elements in one direction and by movement in the opposite direction to first open said auxiliary contacts, and electromagnetic means for controlling` the movement ot one of said elements for causing the opening ot said main contacts.

9. A controller comprising main contacts, auxiliary contacts, an axially movable element for closing the auxiliary contacts and main contacts, and electro-magnetic means having an axially movable plunger for controlling' the opening et one of said contacts, said plunger being anialiy movable relatively to said element and having a common axis therewith.

l0. fr controller coniprising a plurality ot contacts, enclosing means tor said contacts. a controlling magnet mounted upon the outn side ol said means and having its axis perpendicular thereto, said magnet having' an axially movable plunger tor automatically controlling certain oi said contacts, and a manually movable element passing through said plunger and movable relatively thereto i'or controlling certain et said contacts.

ll. controller comprising1 main contacts and. auxiliary contacts, enclosing means for said contacts, a controlling magnet having the axis of its windings perpendicular to said said magnet having an axially movable element tor automatically controlling the opening ot said main contacts. and a manually movable element passing through said magnetic element and movable relatively thereto lfor controlling said main contacts and auxiliary contacts.

l2. controller for controlling the circuit or a battery and dynamo driven by a gas engine comprising main contacts in the dy namo and battery circuit and auxiliary contacts for controlling the ignition circuit ot' the engine, a manually movable element tor iirst closing said auxiliary contacts and then closing said main contacts by movement in one direction and first opening said auxiliary contacts by movement in the opposite direction, and electromagnetic means for controlling the opening of said main contacts.

13. A controller for controlling the circuit of a battery and dynamo driven by a gas engine comprising main contacts in the dynamo and battery circuit and auxiliary contacts for controlling the ignition circuit of the engine, a manually movable element for first' closing. said auxiliary contacts and then closing said main contacts by movement in one direction and first opening said auxiliary contacts by movement in the oppo-v site direction7 and electromagnetic means for controlling the opening lof said main contacts upon the flow of reverse current from the battery.

14. A controller for controlling the circuit of a battery and dynamo driven by a gas engine comprising main contacts in the dynamo and battery circuit and auxiliary contacts for controlling the ignition circuit of the engine, a manually movable element for first closing said auxiliary contacts and then closing said main contacts by movement in one direction and first opening said auxiliary contacts by movement in the opposite direction, and electromagnetic means for controlling the opening of said main contacts, said means comprising a shunt coil and series coil acting cumulatively during normal running conditions.

WILLIAM SCHWAGERMANN. 

